Camper unloads in Felixstowe

Camper, the VO70 yacht Emirates Team New Zealand will campaign in the Volvo Ocean Race, has been unloaded from a Maersk Line container ship at Felixstowe, England ahead of the start of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean race.

Shore crew will rig the yacht and check on-board systems before the start of a promotional tour that will take the yacht to London, Lorient, France, Palma and Barcelona before sailing to Alicante for the build-up to the start on November 5.

The sailing team will begin gathering at Felixstowe within a few days.

The Lorient stop will see them make an appearance alongside Volvo Ocean Race rivals Groupama sailing team at their home port.

Camper left their own Auckland base back in July. With their arrival in England, all six boats to have declared entry in the race are in European waters.

Team Telefónica are on their way from Lanzarote to their new base in Sanxenxo in northern Spain, Groupama are in Lorient, Team Sanya are at Hamble in England, Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg Propulsion are in Lanzarote and Abu Dhabi are at their base in Cascais outside Lisbon.